But Not for Long : A Novel

Greta has left her old life behind and moved into a sustainable foods co-op in Madison, Wisconsin. Just as she begins to settle in with her two housemates, the husband she left behind appears on their porch, drunk. His arrival begins a dark three-day period during which all three residents of the house will have to reckon with a disquietude lurking under the surface of their little society. A series of summer blackouts, gas shortages, and an ominous disappearance will force them all out into a larger world that seems everywhere on the verge of crisis.

“A stirring meditation on modern angst and the meaning of selflessness.” —Joanna Powell, People

“What if the apocalypse comes gently, this memorable book asks, not with a bang or a blaze but with the silence of refrigerators no longer buzzing and the 'fuzzy dandelions of candlelight floating past the curtains'?” —Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow, The New York Times Book Review

“Wildgen is great at catching the moments of connection and conflict between people. . . .Her characters are touching and believable, her place descriptions vivid.” —Emily Carter, Star-Tribune (Minneapolis)

“A sensitively conceived and crafted novel.” —Barbara Fisher, The Boston Globe